Suchergebnisse

This article asserts that organizational transitions may be eased if change is viewed from the perspective of psychological loss rather than opportunity. Regardless of the benefits of changing, if an anticipated transition challenges that part of one's identity preserved in an organization's history, changes which disregard or discount that past will be resisted This view suggests that individuals adapt to organizational changes by working with them over time Organizational strategies designed to facilitate the transition process must account for differences in degrees of both the motivation and ability of individuals to adjust to organizational change

The public personnel administrator's role is undergoing rapid change as agency managers demand more organizational knowledge of human resources. The traditional role of the personnelist focuses on knowledge of rules, regulations and techniques; emphasizes the values of neutrality and efficiency; finds its source of power in rewards and punishments associated with manipulation of rules and procedures; and finally, adopts a problem-solving orientation to management. In contrast, the consultative role centers on productivity related knowledge; and its source of power grows from expertise related to this knowledge; it values efficiency and effectiveness; and is predisposed to find and identify problems as well as solve them. This transition in professional identity from the compliance to consultative role will both enhance the status of the personnelist who brings valued expert knowledge of human resources to management and will increase organizational effectiveness as agency managers apply this knowledge.

The legitimacy of an individual councilmember's power comes directly from the electorate, but respect and influence cannot be presumed; they have to be earned through action. The manager's position, however, comes from professional qualifications to manage and provide policy guidance. In contrast with members of the council, the local government manager and professional staff benefit from a long-term familiarity with issues, specialization, and technical expertise and also from an organizational structure familiar to all. As we know, linking politics and the work of a governing body with the management of government involves an ongoing set of tasks and challenges. The idea of council-manager government is that political and administrative realms can be in partnership and not dependent on the system of checks and balances that characterizes our state and federal governments, where separation of legislative and executive powers is valued. The relationship between the manager and the elected officials sets a tone for the entire local government. Although some elected officials shy away from acknowledging a team or partner relationship between and among members of council and between the council and the staff, it is critical that the professional manager prepares the council for its work. In part, this takes place as the manager helps the council build its capacity to work as a body, earning respect for one another and in an effective partnership with staff. In this article, we set out some of the ways the manager can facilitate the building of council capacity.

The Bertelsmann Foundation, the largest in Germany, sponsors the Carl Bertelsmann Prize for innovative solutions to public problems. In 1993, the award was given for exemplary practice of "democracy and efficiency in local government." After extensive research, 10 cities – including Phoenix, Arizona, and Christchurch, New Zealand – received the prize. The recently published research that led to the awards describes the compelling issues facing contemporary local government professionals. The research has stimulated our thinking about the trends that will challenge these professionals for years to come and the perspectives that will be needed to address them. Of the many forces affecting local governments, two emerging trends will shape the future for local government professionals. The first is the movement to modernize the organization. The second is the movement to build and maintain a sense of community, capturing the essence of governing at the local level. Local government professionals must understand each trend in order to contribute effectively to their communities. In this article, we describe the two trends and selected challenges in more detail. In the second half of the article, we identify six responses necessary to deal with these issues.

In a previous article, we outlined two contemporary trends – community building and modernizing of the organization – that affect the work of local government professionals. In that article, we also identified some approaches to dealing effectively with the problems of these trends. In this follow-up article, we propose some competencies that contemporary local government managers will need in order to meet their responsibilities and roles in this new world successfully.

The phrase "community building" captures those initiatives in local governments today that seek to connect the places where people live with the lives they lead. The goal of community building is to create attachment to the community, identity, and pride. Most people realize that the selfish pursuit of individual interest, the increase of diversity, and the longtime trend of development patterns leading to urban sprawl have produced serious conditions of disconnectedness among our various populations. Often, these forces have produced the most ambiguous yet most serious challenges that face local governments. Bearing this in mind, this article addresses how community building and local government are, and indeed need to be, related.